Reception Theory

Preferred Reading:

Preferred Reading is how the producer of the product/text intended for it to be interpreted as to the audience or the main point that the producer wanted to get across to the audience.

Oppositional Reading:

Oppositional Reading is how the audience interprets the product/text which is not what the producer intended to get across. In other words it is when the point of a product/text is misinterpreted/misunderstood by the audience usually due to their own ideologies.

How does the Harry Brown trailer position the audience to respond to the teenage characters in the film?

The Harry Brown trailer positions the audience to respond to the teenage characters in the film as though they are aggressive, violent, a threat to society, dangerous and needing to be taught a lesson. This creates fear in the minds of the audience which will most likely cause them to feel relieved to see them being disciplined.

Why might young people reject this reading and construct an oppositional reading of the trailer?

The oppositional reading for the Harry Brown trailer is that young people are violent, aggressive and dangerous which isn't the case at all. This shows that young people are being unfairly portrayed which will most likely offend young people as they are being shown in a bad light. This suggests that older people are portrayed as the ones that carry out justice and are innocent. I think that young people would reject this reading because they are trying to be shown in a negative way which is causing the public/society to be afraid of them. Despite the fact that there are a lot of young people that are trying their bests to prove themselves and yet things like this are almost rejecting them which is why they would also rejecting this reading as well
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Write a 200 word analysis of the McDonald's advert using preferred, negotiated and oppositional readings.

Preferred Reading:

The preferred reading that the producer of this advert was intended to get across was that the new (at the time) McDonald's Big Mac was an amazing 'sandwich' that would not only fill you up but also satisfy your taste buds. A burger such as this would look very appealing to an audience, especially to Explorers as they are always wanting to try new things. I also think that the producer was trying to get across to people that work a lot and might not have time to eat that something like this would be perfect as it's filling and easy to eat or carry around thanks to takeaways.

Negotiated Reading:

The negotiated reading of this advert is that the burger is in fact filling and tastes delicious although it is unhealthy and we shouldn't consider it as a meal. The burger itself is quite large in size and so although it may look like a meal it certainly isn't something your body should be intaking on a daily basis. To this audience I think that they can understand that McDonald's is just trying to advertise their product to possible customers but by making the burger seem as though it is good enough to eat on it's own and can be classified as a meal is wrong. 

Oppositional Reading:

The oppositonal reading of this advert that the producer did not intend to get across is the fact that by telling the audience that it is a meal and disguised as a 'sandwich' causes them to believe that it is in fact a healthy option which isn't the case. Usually, when we hear the word sandwich we associate it with healthy things that aren't very fatty whereas this is actually a burger which can be classified as a sandwich but in this case is used to make it seem healthier than it actually is. Also, calling it a meal makes it seem as though it is alright to have on a regular basis and can be considered as your lunch/dinner which won't be good for the body. I think that the audience would be angry at this as advertising something with so many calories as a good thing is sure to increase the number of obese people in the country even more than it is. I also think that to some audiences it would be insultive as there are many fighting for healthy eating and trying to ban foods like these and so it is almost rejecting their efforts. Vegetarians would also feel attended due to the fact that seeing a burger advertised in such a delicious looking way may tempt them and would end up in upsetting them as they are not able to eat it.

Find your own advertisement and write a 200 word analysis using preferred, negotiated and oppositional readings.

My phone shows me which trains are deleayed.
I am f***ed

Preferred Reading:

The preferred reading of this advert is to allow the humour of the advert to reach the audience making it more likely for them to install the app. I think that by using this kind of joke it creates a better relationship with the audience and the company most likely making the audience smile and causing them to spread the word to their own friends helping with publicity. I also think that it allows us to see the kind of situations that the app would be useful for and so it might appeal to audiences that use trains as a way of transport. 

Negotiated Reading:

The negotiated reading of this advert is that the audience understands the humour the producer was trying to get across but went a bit too far. I think that seeing the advert might make them laugh but not make them approve of the actual word used within the advert. Despite this, I think that the audience would be able to tell that the company didn't intend to target those with religious beliefs but rather just be funny. The thing that causes it to be misunderstood is the language used.

Oppositional Reading:

The oppositional reading of this advert is that the audience doesn't find the advert humorous and only offensive due to the language used. I think that some audiences would think that the use of such language was not relevant and was just unnecessary as it is not really advertising the app itself but is instead going a bit off topic. I also believe that the audience would think that not enough was said about the app itself or it's purpose and so the likeliness of you downloading it is very low. Additionally, to religious people such as Christians where swearing is considered as a sin which means that the advert itself goes against their religion.